


Saving the devil

by karenvde



Category: Daredevil (TV)
Genre: Blind Matt, Episode: s01e05 World On Fire, F/M, Matt is sad, VERY Out of Character, deaf Matt, mad is a civilian
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-20
Updated: 2018-09-05
Packaged: 2018-11-16 13:57:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 2,602
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11254362
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/karenvde/pseuds/karenvde
Summary: Matt is just walking around somewhere in New York when the explosions in SE1EP05 happen. Claire is there to save him.





	1. 1

Foggy had just settled in the hospital bed. Karen called Matt's cell for the fourth time in half an hour. Karen's heart was beating so fast, she ignored Foggy's question. The beating was so loud in her ears, she could barely hear her own thoughts.

* * *

 

Matt was on the ground somewhere. He felt the concrete beneath him. He was on the street. There was dust all around him, he could smell it. There were people screaming, all around him. He wasn't sure where he was. What was he doing here? What happened? Where were Foggy and Karen? Panic surrounded him and Matt had no idea what to do. He stood up and started walking. He had no idea where he was going. He only made it three steps further before crashing down to the ground. He felt for his face, there was no mask to protect his identity. There were no glasses either. He noticed his clothing, civilian, no vigilante outfit. He was out as Matt Murdock, not the Devil of Hell's Kitchen. Nothing made sense.

* * *

Foggy called Brett, hoping for an answer but pretty sure Brett had his hands full.

"Nelson?" Brett answered the phone.

"Brett? Can't believe you picked up!"

"What do you want?" Foggy realized he's probably taking time he could really use.

"We've lost Matt, can't get a hold of him. He's not answering his cell or his house phone. Could you keep an eye out for him?"

Brett sighed on the other end of the line. "Yeah. I'll look for him." They bothe paused, not saying anything for a few seconds.

Brett broke the silence, "Murdock's a big boy, handles himself better than most seeing people. He's probably okay."

Foggy knew that, of course. He had lived with Matt, started a law firm with the guy, he had heard of Matthew Murdock when he was a kid, going through life suddenly blind because of his heroic acts. But that's exactly what scared him. Matt tried to be the hero back then, he got hurt. What if it happens again? How much more can one man take?

* * *

Matt felt a stranger's hand on his shoulder, pulling. it was a small hand, probably a woman, she tried to take him somwhere. She tried to tell him where to go. Did he know her? Does she know he's blind? Then it happened again, he felt a sudden wave of hot air to his left side and he staggered away, bumping into the woman trying to help him. It wasn't until they were both sitting down that he realized she had been trying to talk to him and he couldn't hear her. He suddenly grabbed the womans wrist, holding on like it was the only thing keeping him sane, talking, probably yelling.

"I can't hear you," he said. "I can't hear you. I can't see you."

Matt felt the muscles tense in his own as she tried to stand up, pulling Matt up as well. He stood, not knowing what way to go. The woman pulled him in one direction. He just followed, trying to gather his remaining senses to get a 'view' of his surroundings. He felt heat coming from certain areas, he felt the temperature go down as they moved away from the heat. They stood still for a moment. Matt realized he'd been panting, almost hyperventilating until the woman took his hand and put it on her own chest, implicating he should follow her breathing.

She tapped her nose, telling him he should breathe through that. He tried. Then he smelled it. The hospital, a cat, Hell's Kitchen. The smell of the hospital was strong, but they weren't near the hospital.

It was Claire who found him.

"Claire?" He asked, his voice shaking.

Claire pulled him into a hug, confirming his question. Yes, it was Claire. Thank god, it was Claire. He let some tears of relief go and he found himself crying onto her shoulder, thanking her out loud, probably screaming. At least he was safe.


	2. 2

Matt squeezed Claire’s arm as she guided them through the rubble left by the explosions. She kept talking, but never got answers. Matt couldn’t walk in a straight line but didn’t seem to notice. He just wandered off a little but never too far, always afraid he’d lose Claire. He still couldn’t hear her, which scared the shit out of Claire considering, how he explained it, his hearing is the most vital part of his radar sense. She considers this must feel like losing his sight all over for him. She looks at him for a moment. He looks tough, tense. He looks as if he could fall apart once he knows they’re safe.

“Why did we stop?” Matt asks, slightly louder than he probably intended.

“Right, we should keep moving,” Claire says, not expecting an answer.

* * *

“Murdock? Is that you?!” Brett calls from across the street.

“Do you know him?” Claire asks him.

“Yeah, we’re friends. His best friend is in the hospital right now, he asked me to look for him.”

“I’m trying to get him there right now,” Claire sighs, a little exhausted from dragging a grown ass man through the streets. The cop seems to try to make up his mind whether he should help her or not. He’s probably got better things to do in this war zone-like version of New York but if he offers, Claire won’t say no. And lucky for her, he offers. They both take one of his arms, slightly carrying him as he seems to lose his consciousness every five minutes. With Brett’s help, Claire can actually do her job and tries to keep him awake.

“So what happened to him?” Brett asks.

“Bombs happened.” Claire snaps back, a little annoyed at this dumb question.

“I get that, but what’s with Murdock? Why’s he so out of it? Where was he when all of this happened?”

“Bombs happened, he got stuck under some building a couple of blocks south from here and I’m pretty sure he can’t hear a word of what we’re saying. Most probably has a concussion, definitely needs a hospital.” Claire just doesn’t have the patience for stating the obvious.

Brett seems to also get a little tired of her attitude and calls Foggy, telling him he’s on his way with Matt. No, he’s not dead. Yes, Nelson, you can cry of relief. Stay in bed, he won’t be ready to see anyone anytime soon anyways. No, Nelson, that wasn’t a joke.

They arrive at the hospital and drop him onto a bed right away. He doesn’t protest. He’s probably too concussed to be protesting. He’s been shaking for a while, has had tears run down his face for the past five minutes and feels cold. He gags at the overwhelming smell of the hospital. For just a second, Claire is glad he can’t hear the chaos around him, until she reminds herself that his hearing is his everything.

Brett leaves pretty quickly, returning to his job, to whatever he was doing. Before he does, though, he makes a quick stop at Foggy’s bed, telling him how he and a woman took Matt to the hospital.


	3. Chapter 3

Karen is the first to visit Matt. She walks in and immediately starts crying. Matt’s awake, seems to somehow notice her walking in, causing him to immediate wipe the tears off his cheeks. 

Karen just stands there for a while, watching him. He looks nothing like Matt. He looks kicked, out of place, confused, tired and like he’d jump out of the window if anyone would get too close. Someone else walks into his room and Karen moves out of the doorway after a good moment of staring at the man who once brought so much comfort to both her and Foggy. Right now he just looks like they should both return all the comfort he once gave them. 

“Are you okay?” The woman asks Karen. 

“Yeah, it’s just a little weird seeing him like this... “ Karen goes over her words in her head. “Screw weird, it’s not right. Matt’s always been the one who stayed the calmest, was always there for everyone and right now he looks like his heart might pop out of his chest out of shock if you touch him.” 

The woman seems to think about her words, then decides to hug Karen, a gesture she probably expected from Matt. 

“Right now, he needs help and patience. He seems strong but he needs his friends more than ever. You can stare at him in disbelief but it won’t actually help him. He looks like he knows you’re here, but he seems frightened by the idea of the wrong person being in his room. Go hug him, let him know he’s okay, that nothing bad will happen while he’s in hospital. Just don’t sulk and return the favor of being the calmest.”

This woman had guts, saying something like this. Karen wasn’t sure whether to agree or to punch her in the face for being so blunt. But she was right.

Karen walked over to his bed, putting her hand over his. He slightly flinched but seemed to be okay with her being here. He smiles as big as the situation lets him. 

Later, Karen learns the woman is the one who had found him and Brett and brought him to the hospital. Claire. Karen owes her a big thank you.


	4. 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy SHHHHH. I am SO SORRY. I didn't realize it had been a year since last updating this fic. Time flies by!!  
>  Anyways, here's something short. Thanks for reading, I'll probably continue this fic even though I honestly have no idea where this is going and also excuse me for the million medical inaccuracies. It's just a work of fiction, after all *shrug emoji*   
> Comments and kudos motivate me. <3

Matt drifted in and out of unconsciousness for the next two days, feeling beat in every way. He did earn back his hearing at least a little bit. What he had was not enough to map his surroundings, but it was enough to make conversation and comply to what the nurses and doctors asked him to when he was awake. 

Claire wandered in and out of the room as often as she could, between the shifts she had to pick up due to the lack of staff in the aftermath of the explosions all over Hell’s Kitchen.

Matt wanted nothing more than to go home. Even though his hearing wasn’t back to his level of normal, he could still feel how scratchy the sheets of the hospital bed were, how smelly the chemicals and other patients were. As selfless as he is, he wondered if Claire ever got sick from the smell. 

Foggy was released later that day after he had gotten some painkillers and the sassy look of a nurse who just thought he was taking up a much needed bed, considering all he had was a cut. Foggy didn’t disagree, all he wanted was to leave the bed and go to Matt. 

When Foggy walked into Matt’s room, he saw his head tilt but a questioning look on his face. From what Karen told him, he wasn’t as sharp as he usually is, which she blamed on the sedatives. 

“Hey, Matty.”

Matt took a while to respond and just kept a puzzled look on his face while Foggy approached the bed. 

Foggy took his hand and sat down. “How’s your head?” 

“Foggy,” Matt started, some tension immediately leaving his shoulders. “Better. I don’t know what they have me on but everything is different.”

Foggy huffed a laugh in response. “Yeah, probably. I guess having the city explode right next to you doesn’t do so much good. How are you feeling?” 

Matt considered the question. He usually wouldn’t take any pain meds unless it was really unbearable. Now with what the hospital has given him, he wasn’t sure how he was actually doing. 

“I’m actually pretty good, I think. I want to go home.” 

Foggy knew this conversation was going to be happening. He could see Matt was suffering in his hospital bed and that he would be much more comfortable at home, but an explosion happening right next to you usually would result in a little bit of a longer hospital stay than just two days. 

“I’ll ask someone about getting you home in a minute. How are the nurses treating you?” Foggy tried to shift the subject.

Matt smiled at that, then yawned and then opened his mouth just to say “Claire’s been nice. The rest are a little handsy without warning.” 

Foggy laughed at that. “I would be too, if such a handsome man were to end up in a bed right before me.” 

Matt smiled but was too tired to carry the conversation. He held Foggy’s hand, still, and thanked God silently that his best friend was finally besides him, in a place where the people’s intentions were nothing more than to take care of him.


	5. Chapter 5

Another day passed and Foggy did ask around if they could take Matt home with them soon. Matt’s doctor was pretty impressed with how fast Matt was healing but confirmed what Foggy was afraid of. He said he’ll tell them when he could go home. 

“Foggy?” Matt asked, still getting used to the dull world he was living in since the explosion.

“Yeah, Matty?” 

“I need you to go home and get something for me to do, a book or something. I’m bored out of my mind.” Matt admitted that he felt like he would need much more help at home than he would like to admit if he were to go home now, with his hearing down to a seemingly normal level for anyone else, so accepted that he had to stay here a little longer, but would ask about going home again every day.

Foggy took a minute to respond. “How about I actually get some cases we were working on before Hell’s Kitchen exploded?” 

Matt huffed a laugh. “You want me to work while I’m on medical leave?”

“Um, I thought you’d, uh,-” Foggy couldn’t finish his sentence before Matt interrupted him.

“I’m kidding, Fog, I’d love to. I don’t want us to fall behind because some doctor doesn’t think I should go home. 

Even though Matt couldn’t sense it, Foggy was smiling at him, glad to have Matt and his workaholic attitude back. He was also very relieved that Matt didn’t start discussing a plan to break out of his hospital bed. Yet. 

Foggy left with the promise to be back soon and Matt was alone once again, but never in a quiet environment while he was here. 

It was difficult for Matt to be at peace when he was awake in the hospital. He felt as if he had lost another sense, which in some way was true. He missed knowing what his surroundings were more than anything. He didn’t know what the room looked like exactly. He just knew which way the door was and where the bathroom was. If he had to stay much longer, he’ll ask Foggy to walk him around and describe everything to him.   
He couldn’t wait for Foggy to come back with something for him to do. He thought about all the cases they left behind at the office and about Karen. He somehow felt some guilt towards his friends, didn’t want them to break their routine and easy work environment and nights out because he couldn’t and because Foggy insisted on staying with Matt. He didn’t want to be at the center of attention when his friends could be doing more fun things than sulk over Matt’s situation and he certainly didn’t want them to spend time with them in a place where they could do nothing but sit next to either a sleeping Matt or a semi-responsive Matt.   
With this feeling lingering around his head, he fell asleep again, more tired than he’d realized.


End file.
